The Perks of Telling White Lies
by Mendygracechan
Summary: "What was that?" Rukia was addled, asking him what just touched or who-knows landed on her head. "It just landed on your head." Yeah right Ichigo, you kind of suck at making white lies. A very fluffy Ichiruki oneshot!


**First Ichiruki one-shot! Sorry if I had to insert a Bleach BGM somewhere in the middle, it's optional but still...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, because if I do I will make them more than friends but secret lovers. :) **

**(Kubo-sensei just made it subtler by telling us that these two are more than friends but less than lovers).**

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><p>It was a mundane night in Ichigo's room. Rukia was sloppily lying on her stomach on the floor, doodling her usual <em>classy<em> Chappy illustrations one after another. Typical Ichigo would whine about how much paper she could waste for hours, but the raven-haired shinigami would never listen. Since when did she submissively obey him anyway? That moment though, Ichigo was taking a shower. It was only a matter of minutes when he got out of the bathroom and immediately scowled at Rukia, as he saw a bunch of crumpled sheets scattered on the floor.

"Not again, Rukia." He grunted, twitching his eyebrows.

Rukia, who just noticed his presence, with his footsteps coming up did not turn her back yet, even when he started complaining about something.

"What? It's not like you're pissed off with my talent, here take a peek."

Ichigo always believed that her drawings were peculiar and more of an eyesore.

"No thanks! No way in the world." He said, as he projected his cliche crossed-hands gesture as a sign of refusal, as if not bearing to see another one of her outlandishly creative (if he may consider it) drawings.

Adamant to persuade him into looking, Rukia replied "I was just finished retouc-"

She insisted, finally turning her back but immediately got distracted when he saw the substitute shinigami shirtless, wearing only his pajama, and on top of that, nonchalantly drying his orange-stained strands with a towel on his hand.

Not wanting him to notice her mouth slightly agape, along with shades of red warmly flustering on her cheeks, she hastily turned back to her sketchpad and pretended to continue doodling. It was useless anyway. She was still distracted.

"What did you say?" Ichigo asked, failing to hear the last part of her sentence.

"Never mind, I think I'll continue my masterpiece inside the closet." She finally stood up and approached the closet, still rejecting the image of a half-naked Ichigo behind her.

"What for? It's a lot more spacious in here, you idiot."

"Can't you see you're the idiot here? Just leave me alone." She answered with infuriated tone and stuck her tongue out before a sliding sound was heard from the closet.

'_That blowhard, what is he even trying to do?'_ Rukia felt a mishmash of reactions, not even sure if she was irritated or just shy being around with Ichigo shirtless inside his room. It was not her first time seeing him somewhat bare. Occasionally, she could see his shinigami robe get partly torn or ripped during fights. If that was the case, then it might be the way he would just get convenient being boldly _shirtless_ around her that made it uneasy. Maybe it was just his physique getting manlier every time he conquered a battle, how the scars he gained from it complimented every contour of his masculine body. Or maybe it was his cinnamon-like scent after taking a shower that Rukia found attractive. _Maybe it was a bit of both_. Not that she would ever admit it, even to herself.

"Oi Rukia." He called out to her as he knocked on the closet, but there was no reply.

"What the hell happened to her?" He muttered. Still perplexed, he walked towards his bed, reached out the desk to pick up his favorite book, and sat at the edge of the bed. Suddenly, he heard a squeal from the closet, not exactly high-pitched and feminine-sounding but was definitely Rukia's. Just when he was about to approach the source of the yelp, he looked at the closet being immediately opened, just to see a panicking Rukia running towards him. She hid behind him, tightly clasping his bare shoulders.

"Ichigo! Kill that thing off!" She cringed, forcibly pushing him towards the closet to figure out things himself. He who had no idea and was left with no choice, inspected the place. From the left, he saw an empty juice pack and a straw poked in it, situated beside the two pillows. As his eyes traveled on the middle, he saw a closed sketchpad where she was recently drawing, until he rummaged on the other side end of the closet and saw a cockroach, crawling upwards.

"The hell? It's just a friggin' cockroach!"

"It's not just cockroach!"

"It is, dimwit!"

The two argued as Rukia pointed at the ugly creature, finally unfolding its wings and flying outside the closet.

"It's a _flying_ cockroach Ichigo!"

"Dammit Rukia. A shinigami? No- a vice captain? Afraid of flying cockroa-"

"-…_Ooooohhhhhhhh_.**" **He slyly grinned, as if plotting an evil prank against the daunted midget.

Rukia, albeit scared, kept track of the insect, which was now heading at the wall nearest the window, wishing it would just fleet away outside the room, but it never happened. Every time it went its way flying like a beetle in the summer, Rukia would unceremoniously flinch, slightly curl her body and flimsily place her hands at the back of her head. It was such a splendid reaction, at least for Ichigo, who seemed to enjoy watching the dreaded Rukia at the moment.

"Ichigo! What are you doing? Kill it now!"

"NO. It was your fault. You messed up with my closet pretty bad and left an empty juice pack inside. It just stayed there I suppose." Ichigo retorted, guilt-tripping the height-deprived shinigami.

"Doesn't matter. Just kill it!"

"You can't even say please? Is that how you ask a favor?" He wryly replied, inching his face closer to her side.

"Ple…Please." She timidly added, refusing to face him.

"Huh? Can't hear it, put more feelings into it!" He nudged on her nearer shoulder twice.

"PLEASE KILL IT." She accentuated however, with a mad intonation.

"Are you really asking me a favor?"

"Favor my ass, fine! I won't kick you in the shin for 1 month!"

Ichigo piqued an interest with her bargain but decided to tease her a bit more,

"1 month?" He hinted a sarcasm, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Fine then NEVER!" She irately added. Poor Rukia.

"..."

"Liar." Ichigo deadpanned and continued, "I'd rather settle for realistic deals, dummy."

"Ichigo, I am serious this time!"

"Heh, like I'd fall for that."

Rejecting the deal but still taking care of the situation, Ichigo picked up the book he left at the edge of his bed a while ago.

"Just another hassle eh?" His scowl deepened, as he started swinging and swaying his arm in attempt to kill the flying house pest.

"It kinda smells your fear, it keeps flying around dammit."

Rukia, who just sighed and now slightly consoled that Ichigo finally approved of killing it, started to feel another jolt of anxiety when the cockroach flew towards her direction. In order to momentarily escape, she ran towards the bed where Ichigo was standing, still watching the insect fly like crazy.

"I give up." Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed before he changed his strategy and glanced at Rukia shuddering on his statement.

"Yes, that's it! I'll just sit here, wait for it to come near me and that's it!" A light bulb idea popped above his head, acerbically suggesting a rather effortless idea.

"Idiot! I say you kill it right away that was the deal!" Rukia protested, now fretting uncomfortably in the bed.

"You just said I kill it, not right away." Ichigo playfully reasoned, scratching one of his earlobes with his pinky finger, disregarding Rukia's terrified expression as she gritted her teeth.

Seeing Ichigo playing tricky shenanigan to her despite their bargain, and the cockroach abruptly flying every once in a while, Rukia took a desperate measure and grabbed the neatly folded blanket within her sight. She covered herself, including her head, which was now positioned on his lap with her whole body curled up inside the blanket.

_[Insert Going Home Bleach BGM here]_

Ichigo was rather surprised, and paused his current movements for a while. He gazed down at the poor midget, now helplessly defending herself with a blanket and hiding in his lap. He placed a small curve in his lips, and instantly sought solace seeing Rukia this way. Not that he wanted to see her frightened expression, but he was happy when she would find the time to rely on him. It rarely happened. Rukia would always brag about how she could take care of herself, because that's freaking Kuchiki Rukia. But this time he won.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. She stopped whining and he stopped teasing her. Taking advantage of the situation, Ichigo reached out for her head. She wouldn't see him, so he wouldn't be suspiciously questioned for doing so. Hesitantly, he moved his palm forth, but suddenly backed away, then forward again, as if afraid of gently patting her head that she might realize what he was doing and he ought to explain. He mustered some courage later and finally touched the lump covered in blanket, but only with the tip of his fingers, then hurriedly removed them to her head after a moment when he felt her slightly alarmed.

"What was that?" Rukia was addled and asked him what just touched or who-knows landed on her head.

"The cockroach landed on your head." Just one of Ichigo's biggest lies that night.

"How could you miss the chance, you should have hit it!"

"Would you like me to hit your head then? Where is your head anyway? Ichigo, obviously knowing her position, inched one of his hands closer to what seemed to be Rukia's waist.

"Oh this must be it?" He added, as he started tickling the shinigami under the blanket.

"Stop it y-" Her next words were interrupted with slight giggles as she fidgeted beneath. Afterwards, Ichigo would get his tickle more frenzied until Rukia's small giggles were replaced with loud chuckles, then honest belly laughter. Her laugh was soothing, a far cry from her usual agitated voice, berating him for conventional reasons and calling it a day. He had a chance to see her genuinely smile at times, but this laugh right now was nothing compared to the previous one he heard. Ichigo relished the audible sound of her happiness he could actually listen to it all night.

Few minutes later, both grew tired from the physical antics, until she finally spoke up.

"Oi Ichigo. You know I'm not going to come out here until you kill that thing, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Just stay as you wish, cowardly brat."

"Fine."

Rukia was thankful he couldn't see her deepened flush burning her cheeks just about now, realizing that this was the first time she actually rested on Ichigo's lap.

Ichigo wished, as much as he wanted to believe, that he could witness the cranky expressions on her face hiding beneath. Regardless, it was still a win situation for him. And he couldn't help addressing it. He was still smiling at her, just staring at the blanket, the lump on his lap. Seconds later, Rukia heard a slap on a flat surface, assuming that Ichigo finally caught the bastard insect.

Seeing a splat of white, foul flesh marked on his desk, Ichigo was about to confirm but she asked ahead.

"Did you kill it?"

Ichigo, unresponsive for a moment, continued watching as he looked down on the curled up form lying on his lap.

"Nah. I missed."

Rukia left out a grunt, but with an unexpectedly tamed manner. "Hurry, just kill it already..."

'_Few more minutes'_ He told himself, as he mumbled, "Aah."

She seemed fine with that.

_Few more minutes._

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><p><em>End<em>

_**Can somebody spill the beans for them already?**_

_** I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews and faves are appreciated. :)**_


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